A new approach in Type 2 diabetes mellitus treatment: Evaluation of the beneficial effect of L-cysteine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (PDF)

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic, progressive metabolic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. Although its main physiological abnormalities are insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion, the specific underlying determinants of these metabolic defects remain uncertain.
There are complex interactions between genetic, epigenetic, environmental and behavioral factors that contribute to the development of diabetes. Non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions have been used for diabetic management. Over the past few years, research has started to focus on the use of novel adjuvant drugs as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory drugs for better management, as it was revealed that both oxidative stress and inflammation play a critical role in the disease pathogenesis.
Thus, the development of antidiabetic drugs that can reverse insulin resistance is a potential therapeutic target. Although antidiabetic drugs may be effective in improving glycemic control, they do not appear to be effective in entirely preventing the progression of pancreatic ß-cells damage mediated by chronic hyperglycemia-induced decline in intracellular antioxidants. Therefore, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapy should be considered as an adjunct to the commonly used oral antidiabetics